Can You Pray Qasr after Returning Home?

Making up missed prayers when not travelling

If a person misses prayers when he is travelling and makes them up when he is at home, he should make them up in shortened form as if he prayed them whilst travelling, according to the more correct opinion, because making up should match the original that was missed . This is the view of the Hanafis and Malikis, and of the Shafa`is in the older madhhab. (End quote from Al-Mawsu`ah Al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/281)  

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Ash-Sharh Al-Mumti` (4/367): “A man reached his city then he remembered that he had not prayed Dhuhr whilst travelling. So he has to pray it with four Rak`ahs, because it is a prayer that became obligatory for him whilst he was not travelling, so he has to offer it in full. And because shortening the prayer is a concession of travel; once he is no longer travelling then he has to offer it in full. 

This is our Madhhab (i.e., the Hanbali school of jurisprudence); but the more correct view is different, i.e., if he remembers a prayer that should have been offered whilst travelling when he gets home, he should offer it in the shortened form because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If a person sleeps and misses a prayer or forgets it, let him offer it when he remembers it,” i.e., let him offer it as it should have been offered. This man remembered that he had not prayed Dhuhr when it was two Rak`ahs in his case, so he does not have to offer it in full.”

Four scenarios of remembering missed prayers

And he said (4/383): 

“Based on this, there are four possible scenarios with regard to this issue: 

• He remembered a prayer that should have been offered whilst travelling when he was still travelling; so he should offer it in shortened form .
• He remembered a prayer that should have been offered whilst he was not travelling when he was not travelling; so he should offer it in complete form.
• He remembered a prayer that should have been offered whilst he was travelling when he was not travelling; he should offer it in shortened form according to the correct opinion.
• He remembered a prayer that should have been offered whilst he was not travelling when he was travelling; he should offer it in complete form.”

Consequences of delaying or missing prayers

It should be noted that prayer is of great importance and that it is not permissible to delay it until after the time it is due except when joining prayers. If a person sleeps or forgets a prayer, then he should pray it when he wakes up or remembers it, and he is not allowed to delay it. Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

{And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.} [An-Nisa’ 4:103]

{Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle [i.e., `Asr] prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.} [Al-Baqarah 2:238]

{But there came after them successors [i.e., later generations] who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil.} [Maryam 19:59]

Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said concerning the word Ghayy (translated above as “evil”): It is a valley in Hell that is very deep and foul. 

And Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

{So woe to those who pray, [But] who are heedless of their prayer [i.e., the hypocrites who are unconcerned if they miss prayers when no one sees them].} [Al-Ma`un 107:4-5]

And when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked: Which deed is dearest to Allah?, he replied: “Prayer offered on time.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 527 and Muslim, 85) 

And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives up `Asr prayer, his (good) deeds are rendered invalid.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 553) 

And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are cut and burned. Do not neglect any prescribed prayer deliberately, for whoever neglects it deliberately no longer has the protection of Allah. And do not drink wine, for it is the key to all evil.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah, 4034 and classed as sound by Al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah) 

We ask Allah to guide us and you and to keep us all steadfast. 

And Allah knows best.